The new Coco Gauff’s Protein Naked smoothie being sold in Emerson Dining.
As a new addition to the protein craze, water has joined the ranks of endless protein-forward and infused products on grocery store shelves, a range of items from protein boxed mac and cheese, to high protein chips. While I am by no means against protein, speaking as a near addict of the new protein smoothie they are selling in Emerson, I believe there is a shifting dynamic that needs to be addressed.
Protein has become increasingly inflated in importance when speaking about its role in our diet and in health. With many goods here in the United States, it seems that we are being encouraged to consume an excess of protein. Fitness influencers tout that one should be consuming 100 grams of protein a day, while vegan influencers increasingly frame their own videos as a response to the protein craze, specifically to critiques of the vegan diet not being able to provide requisite protein.
While registered dieticians and professional recipe developers have attempted to inform that for most individuals, 100 grams of protein per day is not necessary or healthy, their advice doesn’t always break through the algorithm. They can show creative recipes with utilization of plant protein, or how to get protein in with real food at home, often for a fraction of the of special protein products. However, this effort doesn’t matter if they can’t break through the noise.
To top it all off, food and beverage companies are capitalizing on the protein craze by rolling out new lines of protein products, such as the new Naked smoothie, or protein pasta from Barilla. And as most New Englanders know, Dunkin’ Donuts just rolled out new protein refreshers.
In all of these cases, protein is being equated to health by people who are not registered dieticians. From where I stand, this lie is being sold to financially benefit companies and influencers by driving up sales, as well as increase product engagement.
While protein certainly is important to health, no singular macro or micro nutrient is the ‘end-all and be-all’ determinant of one’s well-being. If a person is looking on from a scientific, dietary standpoint, they should consult a registered dietician. We should not be trusting what companies are telling us about the nutritional benefits of their products, nor should we be taking dietary advice from people who have not put in the work to become experts.
So, in a world where there is no reason to trust the companies who sell it, and no need to be consuming 100 grams of protein a day, I’ll ask you this; why would you ever buy protein water?